Beloved
by AURyuichi-san
Summary: Mari hadn't really had any desire to appear in the world of Naruto, no ambition to change anything when there, no inclination to make herself known to anyone that she would recognize. She turned a blind eye to the happenings of the Elemental Nations and stayed secluded in a small village, making her own life...but Itachi still found her anyways. -ItachixOC- Please R&R.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

I thought the first thing I would feel when I saw him was complete and total disbelief as I figured that was what any fangirl would feel at seeing the source of their frighteningly powerful obsession, an excited and shocking denial that the person you so admired was standing right before your eyes, that with just a few steps or within arm's reach, you could touch them and they would not fade or disappear as they did in your dreams.

I had thought that I would be ecstatic, shaking and stiff, nearly bouncing in utter excitement as my face contorted unattractively as I tried to hide my elated mood. I thought seeing him would make me unbelievably happy, perhaps even make me cry at just how badly I didn't know I wanted to meet him in person until then.

...But, much to my utter surprise, I felt none of those things. I felt no excitement. No joy. No sense of rapture when my wide eyes took in his cold and handsome appearance in shock. Shock. it was the only thing that remained within my prediction. I had not expected to see him. I had gone to great lengths in order not to, in order not to see a lot of people including him, and yet here he was, standing there across the meadow with an expression I couldn't see clearly because of my nearsightedness. And my expression was entirely different from what I had expected...

* * *

(Months earlier)

Okay being kidnapped in a forest and nearly raped by missing-nin then quickly rescued by Konoha nin was not what I had in mind when I was pretty sure I was waiting for my waffles to come out of the toaster like I do almost every morning before I was inexplicably dumped into a forest in my thin white tank top and cotton capri shorts. I mean yeah I was a serious fan of Naruto and all that and I'd read more than a few oc inserts fanfictions because, hell, the idea was freaking exciting and generally awesome, but I had never _actually_ wanted to go into the Naruto universe myself.

My mom had always said I was an imaginative realist. While I _knew_ it was impossible(obviously that was wrong), I still wondered about the 'what if'. What if it was possible? How would I react? Usually I was pretty good at guessing how I would react to situations. I hadn't realized until now that my guesses would have been spot on even if I experienced supposedly fictional or impossible scenarios like getting thrown into the Naruto universe.

I was not any kind of exceptional person. I had no outstanding talents or hobbies. I read, wrote, and sketched. I was woefully lazy and therefore even more out of shape than even 'normal' people are considered to be, a moderately long staircase enough to wind me. I didn't even have the extraordinary, but generally useless, talent of being a 'super fan' of the series. I did not remember exact dates, plot sequences, or character profiles. I was just a regular fan of the book that read it whenever the chapters came out and occasionally watched the bad dubs on toonami early on Adult Swim.

I didn't even have anything particular about my appearance. I wasn't overly attractive or 'nerdy' but cute because I wore a certain style or colored my hair or anything. I had dark brown hair, almond brown skin, relatively pouty pink lips, and large brown eyes with complimenting long black lashes. I wasn't saying I was unattractive, I was cute I guess, but it's just that I knew there were a lot of people, both male and female, that were cuter or hotter than me. The same went with my figure. Would-be bullies of mine always called me anemic or bulimic, thinking I stayed as skinny as I was through an unhealthy eating disorder since I ate what I wanted and never exercised, but I honestly just had a fast metabolism and it's not like I had to eat much to upkeep the little energy I expended being as lazy as I was.

I had a modest b size bust, closer to a than c, and could be near flat if I wore a sports bra, and a subtly tapered waist that flared into slightly wider hips than my small bust. My legs were nicely shaped despite my no exercise and I chalked it up to my occasional bouts of DDR, I gave credit to wii sports for my nice arms, but my petite figure, small feet, delicate thin hands, and heart shaped face I owed to my mother who, since I was a teenager, I could share my clothes with since we're the same size. She had never lost her nicely curved, thin, petite, young figure even after giving birth to two kids and being in her early forties. Hell, family sometimes mistook us for each other.

I wasn't popular, I didn't stand out. Sure, being quiet and supposedly shy and looking like I did garnered me negative attention, but after making it clear that bullying me got them treatment ten times worse they got the picture and left me alone, something I preferred to company, friendly or not. I was not a leader, I was not some kind of book worm that knew random facts that would keep me alive on some nutty game or survival show, and I wasn't some secret superior intellect, my grades were average at worst and 'pretty good' at best.

Clearly, I am not the kind of person that could really make an interesting oc in some Naruto fanfiction. I knew that if it was somehow possible and for some reason I was brought here, I would be the boring person that would let the plot run its course unaffected by my meddling. I was much too afraid of destroying the future to even change one small thing, the butterfly effect, the pebble in a still pond, all too clear in my mind, all of the scenarios working in a decidedly negative direction.

No, I knew that if this happened to me I would avoid being a part of it at all costs, avoid meeting anyone important and if I did, work exceptionally hard to be a background character, unimportant, pointless to the story besides taking up space in the back. I'd even mused that I would start a new life, a peaceful one where I lived day by day, relatively unaffected by the major events that happened in the story. That I would live a more fulfilling life than the one I had before, that I would find purpose and contentment and maybe even find love and happiness and start a family, but they were just musings. At least, they were supposed to be.

"Are you alright, girl?" The no-name, unremarkable Konoha-nin asked me after prying the missing-nin off of me and disposing of him and placing a thin blanket over my partially abused form. They had torn my clothes, leaving me in a stretched white sports bra and half torn white panties. I just shakily nodded my head, mostly in shock at being in the Naruto world rather than at the fact that I was nearly raped. It hadn't been the first time I was nearly taken by force, but it was certainly the first time I was nearly taken by a missing-nin, something I didn't think was real until earlier this morning.

"How long have you been held captive?" The man sounded concerned, obviously unconvinced by my last reply.

"They took me this morning," I answered automatically, my voice soft and hollow.

"Where is your family? Your home? In a nearby village?" His teammate questioned, the third still cleaning up in the background. I expelled a shaky breath, my body feeling limp and heavy.

"Gone. All gone," I muttered in horrifying realization. It wasn't that they were really gone, but in this world, they didn't exist. My home, my family, in this place, they were the ones that weren't real. They were _gone. _

"It looks like she's in shock, must be why she was unresponsive when they tried to take her by force," the first man said.

"It's understandable, but at least now it makes sense why she seems generally clean and undamaged. They hadn't abused her body yet." The second said.

"Let's just drop her off at the nearest village and go. We have our own schedule to keep and we're not equipped to deal with this, much less able to take her with us." The third team mate said, finally speaking up.

"We can't just ditch her like this at the closest village!" The second one protested.

"Who said I was, idiot. I know an old woman who lives on the outskirts of the village. She grows herbs and used to work as a civilian nurse and midwife. She should work as a sufficient caretaker for the girl," the third team mate scowled out gruffly.

"Ohh, that nice old lady. Yeah, she would," the first team mate spoke up helpfully. I tuned out the rest, my mind already losing touch with reality as the shock faded and was enveloped by exhaustion. I didn't fight the darkness.

* * *

Waking up at the aforementioned old woman's house with the Konoha-nin nowhere in sight was relatively uneventful. The invitation to stay and become her apprentice of sorts after she learned I had no where to go was heartwarming but also relatively uneventful. There was nothing overly exciting about learning to grow herbs for medicines, poisons, and food, and learning how to harvest medicines and poisons from animals and to be a midwife, but I liked it. I felt like I had a purpose and I preferred learning a trade hands on rather than in a classroom. I felt like I had a purpose, a direction, the simple fact that I had something to do with my life was something that relieved me and made me far happier than it should have.

It wasn't as difficult to learn about the different herbs and their purposes as I'd thought as my being taught to cook by my mother and my personal studies of teas and medical herbs because of my distaste for pills and liquid medicines was rather beneficial. I was also a much quicker learner when I was shown by example and when I was actually interested in the subject. Learning to be a midwife was slightly more difficult for me. I had never been a people person and was quiet by nature so a crying, screaming woman giving birth was not exactly something I was comfortable with, but after I learned about anatomy enough and learned how to safely do a c-section, my birth survival rate for both woman and child helped up my reputation despite my anti social tendencies.

Over the first few months I had learned surprisingly quick and found myself taking more of my new 'Baa-chan's' jobs as she got tired quickly and couldn't make the journeys back and forth between the small Hana village and our small hut on the outskirts of said village. More often I found myself being the one to collect and make the flowers and herbs, the one planting them, the one going into the forest and mountains to capture the small animals necessary, the one responding to summons by patients from the village who needed medical treatment or telling them to send for a real doctor from a bigger village if it was something a simple wise woman like profession like her could not handle.

It was easy to see that Baa-chan's time was close even before I came. I just happened to come at the best time to become her replacement and for that she was grateful, fondly telling me I was like a daughter she never had before she gently drifted to sleep and never woke again. Her peaceful death was much more difficult for me than I had thought it would be. I had grown more attached to her than I had anyone outside my immediate family. I didn't even love my own grandmothers as much as I had come to love this one. I had not cried when I learned of their deaths, saddened, but shed not tears. I could not stop crying as I watched the life fade from Baa-chan's eyes, felt her hand go limp in mine, watching her leave from this world forever, leaving her body behind.

I didn't know who had pulled me away from her as I cried or who had taken her body and buried her in a corner of our meadow, giving her a nice headstone. I didn't know who had given me a sleeping tea or who had put me to sleep, but it didn't matter. It could have been any one of the villagers from Hana that were grateful to Baa-chan for her help and that more than anything comforted me as she had died well loved and well remembered. The first few days after her death were difficult, especially when the place I lived used to be her own, but I was always one to bounce back quickly, unable to dwell too long in the past. In my world, people had called me insensitive because of that ability to get over things so quickly, to move on so fast, to forget, and those comments hurt. Just because I moved on, doesn't mean that I forgot. It still hurt when I thought about it, but I had finished shedding my tears, had already finished mourning, but they couldn't comprehend that. It was bittersweet to see that Hana village understood this, knew me better than my own, non immediate, family did.

After a few weeks without Baa-chan, I had quickly gotten used to being the village's medicine woman of sorts. I had gotten used to the peace and solitude provided by the cozy hut I had inherited from Baa-chan. I had gotten used to the suitors that lined up to shower me with gifts when I traveled into the village as I was one of the few young unmarried women there were that inhabited Hana village and I had gotten used to gently rebuffing their advances, not that it stopped or disheartened them for long.

It was on another normal, peaceful day, that I saw him. I was in the vast meadow in front of the hut, a basket next to where I kneeled, picking herbs and flowers that were ready. I had just stood up and brushed off the light dirt on my hands and the knees of my simple dark blue kimono. I looked up and froze when at the edge of the meadow I spotted the blurry image of a figure wearing the all too familiar signature Akatsuki cloak. I squinted my eyes a little, trying to identify who it was as I was nearsighted and whatever brought me here failed to bring my glasses as well. I felt my eyes widen when I recognized the blurry raven black hair, the almost glowing red eyes, the pale complexion, and the cold and handsome face.

I did not react like I thought I would to seeing my favorite character of the entire series before me. I did not feel excitement. I did not feel joy. All I felt was a crushing, overwhelming sadness. This was not just a fictional character, he wasn't even an actor playing a part. This was a real human being, one who had, through his love and loyalty of his village, killed his clan, his family, and tortured his beloved younger brother in order to let him live, to give him a _reason _to live. This man had arguably suffered the most out of the others and was undoubtedly the most self sacrificing person in the Elemental Nations. His whole life had been compounded upon by sacrifice and tragedy, the only happiness having been in his love for his younger brother, but everything else just seemed to overshadow it.

So, no, I was not happy to see him. I was not excited. I was not happy...because seeing him before me meant that he was real, something I had subtly been denying as I lived a peaceful life. Seeing him meant that all the pain and suffering he had gone through, all the unimaginable torment he had endured...had been real, it had happened and that, more than anything, tore at my soul. I was heart-broken over this. He was a good man, a great man, noble by nature, and forced to become what he was. So I was not happy to see him, nor did I feel fear at seeing, arguably, one of the most powerful men in the Elemental Nations. I was sad, outraged, indignant even that he was here, that he was real, that he existed and was forced to go through it all. Much to my dismay, I could not contain my feelings and I was sure it showed on my face as I had been told I was easy to read.

I cried. I cried almost as soon as I identified who he was. My heart aching and crying for all the pain he had to go through. I cried long and hard, my lungs burning and my eyes stinging as I cried, falling to my knees at the force of the complete despair I felt over his situation. Not once had I felt pity for him, unable to do so as all of it was his own decision, but that only added to the sadness, the anger. The worst part that there was no one to truly blame. Nothing short of altering things from the beginning of the clan wars could have prevented his circumstances. All the small events that led up to his misery had been compounded by deep scars that remained from events both big and small that happened over the course of history between the formation of clans and now. There was no one to blame, no one to direct this anger to so it stayed and festered, worsening the overwhelming despair.

I couldn't find the place of mind to recognize that he had come over and kneeled down to embrace me. I couldn't recognize that it was _him_ who was physically comforting me, only that he was. I clung to him like a lifeline, openly sobbing into his shoulder as I tried to convey my feelings to him, why I was crying at all, but I couldn't.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please..." I repeatedly brokenly apologized to him, the words coming out raw and torn. I didn't even know what I was trying to ask of him as I held him to me tighter, but I understood quickly enough. I wanted him to stop suffering, I wanted him to be happy for once, to be able to think of himself, but it was impossible. I was pleading to God, to any god, any power out there that was listening to change his destiny, his ultimate death at the hands of his brother as he suffered from a sickness brought on by that cursed sharingan, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. It only grew harder to stop crying as he continued to comfort me, humming thoughtfully into my ear and rubbing soothing circles into my back, whispering words of comfort to me. My hands clutched helplessly into his coat as I continued to seek comfort from him and somehow try and suck the pain away from him. A juvenile idea, but I was willing to believe anything if it meant he would be even the slightest bit happier.

* * *

I pulled back slowly, the actions I'd just done finally registering into my mind. I wiped at my damp face, my cheeks and nose were probably red from more than just the crying. My heart got all warm and tingly when he still didn't take his hands away from me, instead moving them to lightly grab my shoulder. "I...sorry," I managed to croak out quietly, not daring to look at him from this close, where I could see him perfectly without the help of glasses. The words seemed empty compared to the sobbing, heart wrenching apologies I had cried repetitively before. "Your coat...I'm sorry." I repeated as I helplessly rubbed at the damp spot on said coat, still not looking at him. I was forced to, startled, when he stopped my useless actions with one hand, wrapping his fingers around my wrist, his fingertips no doubt feeling how frantic my pulse had become by the action.

I took a sharp breath when I saw coal black rather than crimson red when our eyes met. He had turned off his sharingan. Why? Wasn't it supposed to be his thing that he never turned off his sharingan after he left the village because he could no longer let himself be off guard, let himself relax? So why was it deactivated? Was it a genjutsu? I wouldn't be able to tell either way anyways. My eyes darted from his soulful eyes to his mouth and back when they caught the motion of him opening those perfect lips.

"Are you alright now?" I couldn't suppress the shiver that wracked through my body when I heard his deep, throaty baritone voice up close for the first time. My throat closed up and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. I hurriedly looked down, away from the intensity of his gaze, it was hard to hold it for so long.

"I...I'm sorry for suddenly crying like that...and for getting your coat wet," I repeated helplessly. He tugged at my wrist, reminding me that he still hadn't let go and raised his other hand to gently brush away the locks of hair that had lightly clung to my face when I cried. My breath hitched at the action and I dared not look up, but I didn't have to. He softly pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger and lifted my gaze to meet his.

"Why did you cry when you saw me?" I couldn't help the sense of sudden panic I felt at the question. I never thought...or rather wanted to think that I would meet, much less _see_ a person relevant to the plot in some way so I was somewhat unprepared for the eventuality and subsequent answering of questions. I struggled to remember the vague musings I'd had of the 'what if' scenarios I'd come up with before I was inexplicably brought here.

"I...I can...if one's emotions are especially strong...or rather if what they've gone through is memorable...I...can get...impressions...visions...images...of their past, of their future...and their thoughts, their feelings during those...moments," I struggled to explain, glad it sounded vague as was my original intention but not because I tried, I simply _really_ didn't know how one would explain such a power. Empathy was wrong and so was clairvoyant as neither really seemed to fit. I looked down, feeling more personal despair creep up on me. "I'm sorry...that must sound ridiculous. You must not believe me...I'm sorry, I'm just a really big crybaby," I rambled in apology and despair as I fingered the hems of my sleeves nervously, thinking that it wasn't a good enough explanation, that it wouldn't fool him.

"I believe you," he said simply, making me look at him in shock, his expression cool and somber. "But that does not truly answer my question. Why did you cry when you saw me?" He asked again. "Do you pity me after what you were able to see?" I felt my eyes get watery again and I shook as I tried to keep from bursting into tears.

"No!" I shouted before I could stop myself. "It's just not fair! You're kind, you're gentle, you're loyal, you're so understanding, but you had to go through so much- are STILL going through so much. It isn't fair. Where's your happiness? You keep doing all these things for other people and getting nothing but hatred and contempt in return. Even after you die only a handful of people will know just how much you sacrificed, how much you have done for them. That isn't fair," a choked sob cut off my rant and I felt myself about ready to start bawling again, at least until he shocked me by taking my face in both of his hands and making me stare him straight in the eye.

"Please don't cry again. You finally stopped...and your eyes already look abused enough," he murmured, his thumbs softly brushing away the drops that had formed at the corners of my eyes. I took a shaky deep breath as I tampered down the sorrow that remained after my long crying session.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"You apologize a lot don't you?" He asked. My fingers fiddled with my sleeves again when he let his hands drop.

"I'm sor- well I mean, that is-" I stopped and peeked up through my damp lashes, seeing that his expression had softened, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "W-would you like to come in for some tea?" I managed to stammer out. I glanced up at him carefully, unable to fully look him in the eye. He nodded once, the action not as sharp or stiff as I expected it to be, just a regular nod. I was surprised when he took my basket and stood before I could do either, offering me his hand. I felt my face heat up as I took the help and struggled to contain my thrumming heartbeat when his hand lingered on mine. Now that the despair had run its course, I was starting to feel the inevitable rush of attraction towards him, the desire to be closer to him, one I struggled to beat down as it was impossible and went against my principle of not getting involved with the plot line in any way.

The short walk to my hut was quiet, as was the time spent preparing and waiting for the tea. I didn't really notice as my thoughts were going a mile a minute. My goal to not get involved was a moot point now. I had already met and made an impression on a key character, an embarrassing impression, but an impression nonetheless. The butterfly had beat its wings, the pebble had been dropped. The wind would not be stopped, the ripples would continue regardless of what I did or did not do to try and stop it. I guess the saying was true, 'a person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.' There was no point berating myself over the inevitable, the only thing to do now was to let what happened happen. I wasn't about to be rude or excommunicate him from my life if he chose to befriend me or something. I doubt that he'll even be here very long. The damage I've done, if that was true, is minimal at most and inconsequential at best. I'd just let the event run its course.

I poured and served his tea silently, settling comfortable on the porch next to him as I did the same for myself. I served some dango with it, unable to serve tea without snacks. "I hope it's to your liking," I murmured quietly after settling, looking to the field rather than at him.

"...it's delicious," he murmured just as quietly, making me dare a glance before turning back to the serene meadow. The wind chime hung above, tinkling gently in the breeze. "Do you take care of this whole meadow?" He asked eventually, after a long comfortable silence.

"Yes, I collect the flowers and herbs and plant more. Weeding, watering, and taking care of the soil are a given," I answered as I reminisced on the days Baa-chan had spent teaching me about it thoroughly.

"Do you sell them in the village?" He asked. I smiled into my tea before I answered.

"Something like that. My Baa-chan taught me about all the different flowers, herbs, and animals and their medical qualities. She also taught me how to be a mid wife before she passed. I guess she was a medicine woman of sorts."

"And now you are the medicine woman of the village. That would explain why they do not have a doctor." He stated. I nodded.

"Hana village is rather small and most of the injuries and illnesses can be cured with natural remedies and medicines. We always send for a doctor from the nearest village or request a medic-nin from a hidden village if my medicine isn't enough." I offered in explanation, seeing his nod from the corner of my eye.

"Itachi," he suddenly stated. I looked up at him, startled and saw that he was looking at me intensely with those coal black eyes. "My name is Uchiha Itachi." My heart warmed when he told me his real name. I tampered down my surprise and disbelief at the action and instead smiled warmly at him.

"Itachi," I murmured more to myself than him, liking how his name rolled off my tongue. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Mari, Nahira Mari." The last name belonged to Baa-chan and the first name was just her version of my middle name, Marie, the only one that 'sounded normal' according to her when she heard my full name. She said it fit me perfectly, though I didn't know the meaning of the word until she told me it meant 'beloved'. That was rather embarrassing.

"...it suits you," he said simply. I felt like my whole face had lit on fire when he said those words. That was unexpected. Not that this entire event wasn't. All of this was strange. Itachi comforting me when I burst into tears at seeing him, being so kind and gentle with me, and now he was complimenting my name. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was...flirting...with...me...I almost dropped my tea cup, but managed to set it down when my thoughts were slowed by Itachi catching my attention by brushing locks of my hair behind my ear and caressing my cheek. My breath hitched again and my heart beat pounded in my ears when I looked up at him, our eyes locking onto each other.

_Forget flirting!_ I thought in near panic. _He's outright coming onto me!_ I shouted excitedly in my head as I vaguely noticed the distance between us lessening bit by bit, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from his. I licked my lips nervously and felt my heart rise in elation when his eyes darted down to them to watch the action before returning almost magnetically to my eyes. _I can't believe this is happening. THE Itachi Uchiha was coming onto me. That implied that he found me attractive enough to_\- My thoughts cut off when our lips met, my moist ones against his own dry ones. My eyes closed automatically as I felt my mind focus solely on the action, his lips softer than I had never imagined(I was a fan not an obsessed fangirl.)

I felt my body respond positively as it leaned into him without my permission, my arms resting against his shoulders as one of his hands went from cupping my cheek to cradling the back of my head, his other resting flat on my lower back. He pulled back slowly, a small sound of disapproval escaping from the back of my throat despite my closed lips. I blinked my eyes open at the sound and saw his eyes twinkling in amusement, his lips quirked up in an amused(and was that smug?) little smile. I felt my cheeks burning, but before I could look down he leaned in and kissed me again. He took my small gasp of surprise as an opportunity to deepen the kiss.

I couldn't help the pleased sound that escaped as he skillfully and languidly explored my mouth with his hot tongue. I shyly used my own, occasionally mimicking his own actions when my lack of experience became a hindrance. I could feel his hum of amusement and approval when I started to use my own tongue, making my heart feel so light. I gasped again, escaping his lips for a moment as his hand traveled down my sides and suddenly grabbed the bottom of my thighs, pulling me into his lap.

Our lips didn't stay separated for long as Itachi pulled me back into another passionate kiss, his hands staying firmly on my thighs for a bit before moving to my ass. "Mmn," I pulled back and bit my lip to keep my voice from coming out too much, lifting my head skyward as I didn't think I could look at him without doing something embarrassing. Itachi took the clear view of my slim, exposed neck as an opportunity to nip and suck at it, making me let out a relatively loud mewl, surprising me a little as I gasped for breath. It seemed my neck was a sensitive spot...and Itachi seemed to know it too if his biting more roughly and sucking more insistently was any indication.

"I-Itachi," I managed to gasp out. I blinked for only a moment, then blinked them open when I felt the cloth of the bed I was too lazy to fold up this morning under my back. I felt my eyes dilate as they took in the ceiling of my room rather than the partial roof and sky from the porch and the lower lighting and warmer air, avidly noting that he must have shunshin-ed us to my room. My breath quickened as his hands wandered more than the small expanse of my ass, touching everywhere that was or wasn't covered by cloth, more and more of my skin becoming uncovered as his hands wandered the rest of my quivering body.

I unbuttoned his Akatsuki coat quickly, my hands shaking. I snaked my hands beneath his black mesh shirt, pulling it up as I had them slide up his fit chest. I swear my heart stopped for a moment when he sat up, on his knees, and stripped off the offending clothing, the action making my pheromones spike at the incredibly sexy action. I couldn't even feel embarrassed at my own thoughts right now. My body felt tense but limp, felt hot, but I kept shivering at every touch. My thoughts were scattered and blurred, but the only thing I was thinking of was him.

He leaned down, his arms laying on either side of my head, and dipping his head low to connect with my own again, the action much more passionate than the previous ones. I was so lost in his touch, his labored breath, his overwhelming presence that I gasped when his fingers found their way to my netherlips. I had thought that I would be a quiet love maker, nothing beyond gasps and low mewls escaping at any point...but I was wrong. A symphony of wanton moans and breathy pleads tumbled out of my swollen lips, each sound I let escape intensifying the crimson gaze that Itachi had set upon me.

That he had activated his sharingan to remember this moment was more than I could take at the moment, especially when those teasing fingers buried themselves inside me. My back arched off the bed as I let out a joyful, satisfied cry, the best orgasm of my life prolonged by his still thrusting, still stretching fingers, sliding in and out so much easier after my release. I groaned in complaint when he slid them out, leaving me feeling empty. My body shivered when I opened my eyes and discovered him smearing my release from his fingers onto his proud, erect member.

My breath hitched at the sight of it, the width and length exciting me more than it did intimidate me. While I had never been in an intimate relationship, I was no stranger to pleasuring myself with something more fulfilling than my own thin, small fingers. His twitching length, however, certainly bested the few smaller colorful toys that lay hidden somewhere in my old home, my old world. Thoughts of anything besides him were once again erased when he pressed the dripping head of his length against my own wet netherlips.

I gave a smaller cry when he rubbed his length along them, stimulating the small bundle of nerves above my expanding and contracting entrance. "Itachi~" I moaned out wantonly, desperately, impatiently waiting for him to fill me completely and bucking my hips against him to prove it. My actions were stopped by one firm hand on my hip, the other cupping my cheek in his hand and making our eyes lock together.

"Mari," his voice was low, intense, and gruff with desire. I watched the rapidly spinning tomoes of his eyes, mesmerized by them before he dipped down to taste me again, my eyes sliding closed as he did so only to snap open in shock when he thrust himself inside me completely with one swift motion. I cried out into his mouth, shock even more prevalent than the sharp and short sting of pain I felt when he ripped through the hymen that I thought I had broken on my own a few years ago. Vague thoughts of how my coming to this world must have reset my body were quickly overrun by the sheer magnitude of pleasure I felt as I felt the head of his length kiss my womb.

He greedily swallowed my moans in his forceful kiss, taking my squirming hips as an invitation to move. At first his thrusts were slow, so agonizingly slow as he pulled back slightly and rocked back in inch by inch, my inner muscles constantly widening and contracting in an effort to gain more friction as he held my hips captive. He hissed into my ear at my actions, his hips thrusting forth more suddenly when I tightened my inner muscles very suddenly.

"Vixen," he moaned throatily into my neck, nipping at it lovingly as I cried out in satisfaction when his pace sped up, the sound of skin slapping against skin joining the orchestra of our labored breaths and the squelching of my juices flowing between our joined bodies. My hands pressed and lightly clawed the contours of his strong pale back, loving how I could feel his muscles rippling beneath his pale skin with every thrust, my legs wrapping themselves around his waist in an attempt to have him deeper inside me, the friction driving me closer and closer to my peak again, this one more intense than the last.

I chanted his name reverently when he sped up once more, this time much quicker, his tightened sack slapping insistently against my ass cheeks. I could feel his muscles tensing in preparation for his impending release, my own ankles locking more securely around his waist, my arms circling around his neck and bringing him flush against me, no space between our slick, naked bodies. A soundless scream had my mouth gape open, my eyes squeezing tightly shut and my back arching up until my head was barely touching the sheets beneath me. The long, shuddering moan he released by my ear extended my amazing orgasm, the strings of burning sperm he filled my womb with doing much the same, each small short thrust signaling another release and sending a skin tingling shiver over me.

I fell limply back onto the bed, the tension in my muscles having washed away like water. My legs slid off his waist and my arms slid back from his neck until they were splayed bonelessly above my head. I kept my eyes closed as I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my ears as I enjoyed the feel of Itachi's damp locks tickling my breasts, his forehead resting between them and his breath caressing my already hot skin. My eyes remained closed as he pulled away, his flaccid length slowly departing from my spent body. A sharp pang of longing rushed through me as I felt his warmth leave me but I didn't show it, didn't respond.

_It was expected. Itachi is a ninja, a missing-nin at that. Of course he wasn't looking for anything beyond a one night stand. The only reason he didn't get straight to it like other people would was because he's a good person, or he knew I wouldn't be getting in his bed just like that. I was the type that needed foreplay_-My thoughts were once again brought to abrupt halt when his arms snaked around my waist and pulled my back flush against his chest, shifting me so I was on my side like he was. I scarcely dared to react to the action beyond sliding my arms over his and enjoying his warmth, my mind in a state of shock that he seemed to be staying, even indulging himself in after sex cuddling...and eagerly so as he nuzzled his face into my neck and damp hair.

I snuggled closer to him in response, my fingers twining with his at my hips, and let myself drift to sleep after our exhausting activity.

* * *

The next morning I woke up earlier than usual, considering I slept most of the previous day it wasn't too surprising. I also wasn't surprised to find that I was alone, no trace that Itachi was there save the ache between my legs, the tired state of my body, and the love bites that littered my neck and chest. I also wasn't one to sleep in the nude. I brushed my fingers longingly over the cool side of the mattress that I knew he slept on, his scent lingering even after it was evident he had been gone for a while.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I accepted everything that had happened in such a short amount of time, my eyes snapping open when my fingers met with the thin edge of a piece of paper. I brought it up to my face with shaking hands, memorizing the neatly written script on the nice sheet, the three words resounding in my mind in his whispered voice.

_Wait for me._

That was when I started to cry. I knew I would. I would wait for him until I died, even knowing what his fate was, I would wait, but not knowing if he was going to die soon or not would make me suffer. Was yesterday just a few days before his death? Was it just after he officially joined Akatsuki(which would be strange as he was 13 at the time, though he looked at least 18 and had already developed those stress lines by then)? The question was if I would see him again at all and if I did, how much longer until fate ended his life? I didn't know, but I couldn't think on it long without wanting to cry. Instead I decided to do what he asked. I would wait for him...and if he came back I would cherish every moment I had with him, try to memorize every word, every detail of him until he was imprinted into my memories, until I could recall him flawlessly at any time.

I would wait for him until death and remember him for just as long.

* * *

The next month and a half was relatively uneventful, the usual pattern I had gotten accustomed to returning. The only major difference being in myself, or rather, my body. Though I showed no early symptoms...or rather any symptoms at all, my discovery was rather clear when my next period didn't come. The only other noticeable change that occurred during the month and a half was my more constant need to pass water.

My heart and mood greatly lifted when I learned of my impending motherhood, only to dampen when I remembered who the father was. I wanted him to be there for our child, but knew he would never be able to. My spirit was lifted again when said father came back, his affections obvious as he gave me a gift of a rare medical herb from another country that would grow well in my meadow. We didn't have sex when he visited, only having tea and dinner and getting to know each other better before I went to bed with him. He seemed tired when he visited.

I didn't tell him about my pregnancy.

* * *

His next visit was much sooner than the last gap, only two weeks rather than almost two months and the only added symptoms were my sensitive breasts and minor food cravings. The heightened sensitivity made our night activity much more intense. He stayed until afternoon the next day, leaving after lunch with a sweet kiss goodbye.

I still didn't tell him.

* * *

It was a month before he visited again and I gained only one other symptom in that time. Extreme tiredness. It was more difficult to work when I got tired so easily. I was disheartened when Itachi came back during one of my many tired days, but warmed when he helped me harvest and gather my materials when he learned of my excessive fatigue. He spoiled me and treated me like a princess, concerned when I told him I hadn't been feeling well lately.

I never told him the reason.

* * *

A whole three months had passed since his last visit and this time it would be impossible to keep my physical status from him. It was hard to keep it from him when my clothes no longer fit because my abdomen had ballooned. I had been beside myself with worry over his reaction when I had noticed the growing bulge of my stomach. Elated that our child was growing healthy under my care, but worried over how Itachi would react when he came.

My back had begun to ache, the skin around my nipples darkening, and a line from my belly button to my pubic hairline appearing. I started to worry when it was reaching the end of the second trimester and I had yet to feel my baby move. It was only a few more weeks until its end and I knew that you were supposed to start feeling your baby move around then. Of course that had to be when Itachi came by to see me again. I was sitting on my porch, a small drying rack and table for the herbs I had gathered earlier rustling from the wind, the chimes adding to the serene symphony and making me more calm and relaxed than I had been in a while.

I was humming softly to my baby, rubbing my hand over my swollen tummy, my eyes closed and a warm smile tilting my lips up. I was going to be a mother. I let the joy of the thought temporarily erase the worry from my mind, simply enjoying the tender emotions that washed over me and the love I felt for the child developing inside me. I continued humming, using the song Angel's Cradle from the Shugo Chara anime from my old world, loving how it fit with how I was feeling.

My breath stopped when I felt a hand go over mine, stopping my gentle rubbing, my soft humming ending abruptly. I opened my eyes and saw crimson ones staring at our hands. I gasped and looked down as well when I felt a nudge beneath our hands. I heard his sharp intake of breath as well. I let out a shaky laugh and put his hand first so he could feel it better, looking at the wonder on his face lovingly. I felt silent tears of joy begin to trail down my face.

"This is the first time our baby's moved," I murmured quietly. His wonder filled eyes moved up to my own watery ones. "I was beginning to get worried as I'm reaching the end of my second trimester in three weeks." My voice was shaky and I hiccuped. "I guess our baby was just waiting for its father," my voice cracked on the last word and I gratefully closed my eyes when he raised his free hand to wipe away my tears, kissing away the drops at the corner of my eyes. He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for a moment before he pulled back to look at me.

"I should have noticed sooner, should have been here more," he murmured back, his brows furrowed. I just shook my head at him, my lip trembling as I refrained from crying anymore.

"I should have told you sooner. Besides, you haven't missed much. Just a few symptoms that didn't affect me much." Itachi raised a perfect brow at that.

"Excessive fatigue?" He answered simply. I felt my cheeks heat at that, remembering how he did the majority of my work for me when he found out I was dead tired.

"I-it was nothing I couldn't handle with some pregnancy-safe herbs that gave me a little energy boost," I managed to mumble out in defense. He kneeled in front of me, settling himself between my legs and wrapping his arms around my waist, looking up at me warmly.

"And now? Do you still get tired easily? Is there anything you need? A certain medicine, clothes, blankets? Should you be out here right now?" Itachi asked, firing question after question. I laughed lightly, my worry over his regards of my pregnancy with his child washing away as if they were never there.

"No, the only exhaustion I feel is from getting used to this extra weight, not that I mind, and I do get tired more easily but not as excessive as before. I already have the proper medicine here, after all it's part of my profession to be a midwife and I'd have to say yes on the clothes and blankets." I looked down at my belly lovingly, stroking it gently. "Our baby seems to enjoy making mommy struggle to put on clothes and pile on blankets when she's cold," I practically cooed out.

"Of course. Anything," Itachi answered, hugging me to him more tightly, his face pressing softly against my growing abdomen. "Our child," he murmured more to himself than me, his voice low and reverent. I felt my heart quicken with joy at how much he seemed to already love the life growing in me, created by the two of us out of love(at least on my part. I was never sure of Itachi's feelings, but was happy that he treasured me.) I looked at him curiously when he pulled back and looked me straight in the eye, his gaze serious and intense.

"Marry me," he stated. I froze, the two words floating through my shell shocked mind as it struggled to process the implications of what he'd just said.

"What?" I asked breathlessly. He pulled back his arms, kneeling back a little as he fished a small shiny black box out of his coat. He expertly flicked it open with one hand, a precise flick of his thumb, and presented its contents to me, the innocent object seeming to twinkle at me in amusement. Laying snugly between the red satiny cushions in the box was a blooming red rose with a small black diamond nestled in the center, the band itself an almost iridescent silver.

I held my breath as he delicately plucked the ring from its container and made the box disappear, his now free hand raising my own and moving the ring to my left ring finger, the band sliding on easily. I chocked back a sob when he kissed the back of my hand then pulled my hand down gently, making me lean down and letting our lips meet in a chaste kiss. I looked into his crimson eyes through blurry vision.

"Marry me," he repeated in a whisper, less demanding, more softly than before. This time a sob did escape before I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him more insistently.

"Of course I will," I answered shakily, my smile trembling as I pressed my forehead against his. My breath hitched when I saw his smile of absolute joy, so sincere and the first time I'd seen it. I didn't get a chance to get my breath back when he kissed me again, his tongue intruding through my partially parted lips as I felt myself become weightless.

I felt him expertly navigate through my house to the bedroom, all the while ravaging my mouth with his skilled tongue, he lay me gently on the soft futon, his hand carefully supporting my back as he did so. His hand slid from my back to my waist and slid up and down the curves from my chest to my hips and back again. "...is it safe to do more?" Itachi questioned softly, his face nuzzling into my neck, his lips peppering kisses all the way up to my ear where he stopped to nibble on the soft skin.

I shuddered at his touches. "Since I don't have any medical conditions stopping me, I can safely have sex all the way up until my water breaks, as long as we're careful later when I get bigger," I informed him with a smile, finding it funny that he was concerned about that. His sharingan spun faster at that as he pulled up to look at me as I answered, a small sigh escaping his lips when he took it in, his eyes becoming half-lidded.

"...good. I don't know what I would have done if I could not touch you so intimately for so long," he murmured, his hands running up and down my sides again, not as soft and lingering at my slightly larger chest and my waist. I giggled a little at that, elated by his sudden proposal and always happy to know how much he wanted me, his affections for me reaffirmed in my mind. Though I knew I wasn't an unattractive person, I was certainly not the most beautiful one out there, but not ugly in any way, it was hard to feel wanted when no one had attempted any kind of intimate relations with me my entire life so far. Itachi threw that notion out the window, though.

I always thought I would never find a good guy, one that would treat me right, never mind actually being a gentleman that went the extra length, but again Itachi exceeded all my expectations. He was gentle, he was kind, he was loving, and he did everything he could to make me happy when he came. He doted on me and treated me like a rare flower, showering me with warmth and affection. I respected girls out there that could take care of themselves, ones that decided they'd rather be independent and wear the pants in the relationship, I really did. Considering I'd been independent most of my life, I understood pretty well, but I was more the kind that had secretly always wished to be spoiled, not with expensive gifts, but with simple acts of affection, devotion, and respect.

I yearned for a partner that would strive to understand me, my needs, my moods, my desires. I wanted a partner that would know what I wanted before I did, that would do things and take care of me, be thoughtful without my asking them to. I wanted a partner that wouldn't mind that the most heartfelt gifts I could give them, the best way I could show my love, was through silent, thoughtful or affectionate actions, ranging from something as insignificant as making their tea just right to initializing a kiss or embrace or invitation to consummate our feelings. Itachi did all of it, all of it and more.

At first it felt like my heart would burst from the elation I always felt when with him, but as always, dark thoughts started to creep up on me and try to ruin my happiness. In the back of my mind I morbidly wondered what I would do if Itachi left me, or worse if he died, which I knew would happen. Just thinking about it made my chest tighten unbearably and made it feel like my very soul would irreparably shatter. Every time he left I would dwell on these thoughts, constantly distracting myself from them only to think of them again in moments of inaction, then happily letting them fade when I was back in his arms, letting all my thoughts scatter and dissipate as I reveled in his eyes, his voice, his touch.

Once again, all my insecurities, all my worries and fears, all of them crumbled under the onslaught of his undying devotion, under the intensity of the affection and desire smoldering in his unwavering gaze. Every look, every word, every action conveying the affirmation of his promise of love and loyalty, leaving no room for doubts.

I sighed with pleasure as he pulled our naked bodies together, settling us comfortably under the blankets when I had begun to shiver after coming down from our shared afterglow. I couldn't help the tired, but absolutely content smile that tugged at my lips when I spotted the ring he had given me, the metal warm now from our entwined fingers. I pressed myself closer to him, rubbing my cheek affectionately against his chest before letting it rest on his shoulder. My smile grew a little warmer when I saw his hand lift to stroke my hair and felt him kiss the top of my head, drifting peacefully off to sleep for the first time in three months.

* * *

I was not surprised to find myself alone in bed the next morning, or rather afternoon. No matter how happy Itachi may have been at finding out he would be a father or his apparently planned proposal, he was still a missing nin. I still wondered how he constantly got away from the Akatsuki to spend even just a few hours with me, much less a day or two, especially with a partner like Kisame. So I _was _surprised when I found my new fiance and father of my child pacing in my kitchen/living room after I had dressed for the day in a loose kimono(the only kind that fit me recently.)

"Itachi? What's wrong?" I wasn't going to ask why he was still here, no need to drive him off or make him think I don't want him here, but I was concerned because he seemed more tense and troubled than usual, his brows visibly furrowed, mouth set in an open frown. I'd never seen him more openly troubled and I immediately rushed to his side, stopping his pacing with a soft touch to his arm. He stopped and slowly looked at me, his eyes contemplating.

"...my partner knows about us." I felt all the color leave my face as he spoke those five simple words.

"B...but if he knows-"

"Then Leader-sama knows as well," Itachi finished quietly, grimly. Both he and I knew he wasn't talking about Pein. Itachi had already gotten used to me 'knowing things' because I had 'glimpsed' into his past present and future, but never intentionally delved into where he was in the current time-line, for good reason.

"If he finds out that I'm holding your child..." my voice withered to a soft whisper, trembling as my hands went to wrap protectively around my middle. That Madara impersonating bastard already planned to manipulate Itachi's brother in order to mess with Itachi and further his own ends. He would capture me just on principle to ensure Itachi doesn't betray him to protect Konoha or his little brother. If Itachi couldn't choose the village over his little brother, I can imagine how much more it would affect him if his child was in play.

My lip trembled with smothered emotion as Itachi wrapped his arms around me tightly, his face burying itself in my hair.

"...I don't know how to protect you," he whispered brokenly. And I couldn't say anything back as I desperately clung to him in an attempt to keep him together, someone who had already sacrificed and lost so much unable to protect a civilian girl and their child, because she didn't know what to do either. No where was safe from Obito with that damned sharingan ability of his and the safest place in the Elemental Nations was still dangerous because of its own sets of problems. And if Konoha was the safest place for them, with Danzo, the elders, and Sasuke there, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay here in the open or go to Konoha to face all that.

I bit my lower lip to stop it from trembling. But if it meant keeping my child- _our_ child safe then I don't care how much discomfort I have to go through. "Itachi...how old are you?" I asked softly, asking the one question I never wanted him to answer because it meant knowing exactly where in the timeline I stood and exactly _when_ shit would start hitting the fan. Itachi, though he may not have understood why I had asked that specific question seemed to understand it was significant as he pulled back enough to look at me.

"Sixteen," he answered seriously. I ignored the fact that I was almost five years older than him, my father had been four years older than my mother and I didn't care about that, and focused on doing the math in my head. If Itachi was only sixteen then Sasuke and the other rookies were only between twelve and thirteen. It also meant that the sandaime was still alive. Not once since I arrived had I considered trying to extremely change the timeline and even now that I was months pregnant with Uchiha Itachi's child of all people I still had trepidations about it, but if Itachi and I were to ever truly be safe in Konoha(and Itachi would be with me whether he wants to or not), then Konoha needed to change. That would involve me getting involved period...but first we needed to get _into _Konoha.

"I...we need..." I stopped myself again and let my hands slide down from around Itachi's neck to rest gently on his chest, my eyes staring at it pensively, my lips pursed as I collected my thoughts. "The toad sannin, Jiraiya, knows the truth," I stated rather than asked, but Itachi nodded regardless. "We need his help..."

* * *

**AN: **Not my proudest or greatest work, but it was taking up space so here it is. There are plenty of things I find wrong with it myself, but I'll be happy if even one person finds it enjoyable. My goal for this story is 10,000 words a chapter. Reviews are appreciated. (=u=)


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